Path of Exile 2 has no gold-for-gear shop. Gold exists, but it's vendor-only and can't be traded; everything between players is priced in orbs, and every orb is also a crafting tool. That's the whole trick of the economy: the currency you're saving up to buy a weapon is the same currency you'd use to craft one. This guide lists every currency item we stock, grouped the way players actually think about them, with the in-game effect and a line on when it's worth using. Prices aren't here on purpose - they move daily in a fresh league, and the product pages carry the live ones.

How to read the orbs

Three ideas cover most of it:

  • Exalted Orbs are the everyday unit, Divine Orbs the big one. Most listings on the trade site are priced in Exalts; anything expensive is priced in Divines. The ratio between them floats, and in a league's first fortnight it floats a lot - see why the economy is fresh again.
  • Greater and Perfect orbs do the same job as the base orb, better. Their text says "Minimum Modifier Level: 35" (Greater) or "50" (Perfect). It means the modifier they add is at least that tier - no more slamming an Exalt and getting a tier-8 roll. That's why they cost many times the base orb.
  • Corruption is permanent. A Vaal Orb and its relatives change an item unpredictably and mark it corrupted; a corrupted item can't be modified by most other currency afterwards. Everything in the Vaal section below is a gamble by design.

Core currency

Exalted Orb -Augments a Rare item with a new random modifier.* The workhorse. It's the trade unit, and it's the orb you slam when a rare has an open affix. You will drop far more Exalts than anything else; most of a mapper's income is Exalts sold in bulk.

Divine Orb -Randomises the numeric values of modifiers on an item.* Rerolls the numbers, not the modifiers - a "+35 to maximum Life" mod stays a Life mod, but re-rolls within its tier. Used to perfect a finished item, and as the high-value trade denomination.

Chaos Orb -Removes a random modifier and augments a Rare item with a new random modifier.* One out, one in. Useful for pushing one bad affix off a rare that's otherwise good, with the risk that it removes a good one instead.

Orb of Alchemy -Upgrades a Normal or Magic item to a Rare item with 4 random modifiers.* The fastest way from a white base to a rare. The standard way to roll waystones before mapping.

Orb of Annulment -Removes a random modifier from an item.* Deletion without replacement. The crafting orb for opening a slot on an item that's already six-modded, or stripping a bad affix before an Exalt.

Orb of Chance -Unpredictably either upgrades a Normal item to Unique rarity or destroys it.* Pure gamble on a white base. Worth it only on bases whose unique is expensive.

Fracturing Orb -Fracture a random modifier on a rare item with at least 4 modifiers, locking it in place.* A fractured mod (gold text) can never be removed or changed - it survives every Chaos, Annul and reroll that follows. The foundation of serious crafting: fracture the one mod that matters, then craft around it. Can't be used on an item that's already fractured.

Hinekora's Lock -Allows an item to foresee the result of the next Currency item used on it. Modifying the item in any way removes the ability to foresee.* Apply it, then hover the next orb and the game shows you exactly what would happen - the corrupted implicit, the Divined values, the Exalt slam - before you commit. If you don't like it, walk away and the orb is unspent. One of the rarest items in the game, and the only way to make a Vaal Orb safe.

Vaal Orb -Modifies an item unpredictably and Corrupts it.* Can add an implicit, change sockets, do nothing, or brick the item. Always the last thing you do to an item - and, with a Lock, the only thing you can preview first.

Mirror of Kalandra -Creates a Mirrored copy of an item.* The rarest currency in the game. A mirrored copy can't be modified; the original is marked as mirrored. Its real use is economic - a perfect item is "mirror-tier" because people pay a Mirror plus a fee to copy it.

Greater and Perfect orbs

The upgraded tiers, from patch 0.2 onward. Same verb as the base orb; guaranteed higher-tier result.

Greater Exalted Orb -Minimum Modifier Level: 35.* An Exalt that can't roll a junk tier. For endgame rares where an open slot deserves better than a coin flip.

Perfect Exalted Orb -Minimum Modifier Level: 50.* The slam you use on an item that's already worth Divines. Guarantees a high tier; doesn't choose which mod.

Greater Chaos Orb -Removes a random modifier and augments a Rare item with a new random modifier. Minimum Modifier Level: 35.* Chaos with a floor on what comes back.

Perfect Chaos Orb -Minimum Modifier Level: 50.* The same, with a higher floor. Still removes a random modifier first - fracture what you want to keep.

Perfect Regal Orb -Upgrades a Magic item to a Rare item, adding 1 modifier. Minimum Modifier Level: 50.* For the classic magic-to-rare route when the two magic mods are already exactly right.

Perfect Orb of Transmutation -Upgrades a Normal item to a Magic item with 1 modifier. Minimum Modifier Level: 70.* Starts a craft from a white base with a top-tier first mod - the very beginning of a deliberate craft rather than a spam.

Perfect Orb of Augmentation -Augments a Magic item with a new random modifier. Minimum Modifier Level: 70.* Adds the second magic mod, top tier. The pair above is how mirror-tier items are started.

Perfect Jeweller's Orb -Sets a Skill Gem to have 5 Support Gem Sockets.* Not a modifier orb at all: it's the fifth support socket on your main skill, and every serious build needs one. Lesser gives three sockets, Greater four, Perfect five.

Crafting materials

Gemcutter's Prism -Improves the quality of a Skill Gem.* Gem quality adds a small bonus to the skill (more damage, area, duration, depending on the gem). Cheap, and the last few percent on a main skill are always worth it.

Armourer's Scrap -Improves the quality of an armour.* Quality on armour multiplies its defence value. Use it on the base before crafting, since it's the same cost either way and quality carries through.

Vaal - the corruption set

All of these touch items that are already corrupted, or corrupt them in the process. None can be undone. If the item matters, a Hinekora's Lock first is the difference between a craft and a coin toss.

Architect's Orb -Modifies a Corrupted Equipment or Jewel item unpredictably or destroys it.* A second roll on a corrupted item that came out wrong - at the price that it might simply be gone.

Crystallised Corruption -Modifies a Corrupted Skill Gem unpredictably or destroys it.* The gem equivalent. Chasing a +1 level corruption on a skill gem is what this is for.

Vaal Catalysing Infuser -Improves the quality of a ring or amulet, exceeding maximum quality by up to 10% with a chance of Corrupting it.* Pushes jewellery past the normal quality cap. The corruption chance is the cost.

Vaal Cultivation Orb -Replaces up to 2 modifiers on a Corrupted Vaal Unique. Replaces other Uniques with a Corrupted Unique of the same Item Class.* Two uses: rerolling a Vaal unique's mods, or turning any unique into a random corrupted Vaal unique of the same class.

Abyssal bones - desecration

Bones are a different kind of craft. Apply one to a rare item and it gains a hidden Desecrated modifier (removing a random existing affix first if the item is full). Take the item to a Well of Souls and you're shown three Desecrated modifiers and pick one - the only crafting in the game where you choose the outcome rather than roll it, and the only source of several modifiers that can't drop any other way. Desecrating doesn't corrupt the item; normal orbs still work afterwards. It can only be done once per item. The bone decides the item class; the tier decides the quality of what's offered.

Preserved tier - the mid tier, no level requirement:

Ancient tier - the top tier, Minimum Modifier Level: 40 on what's offered:

Which orbs a Forbidden Rites character actually needs

  • Levelling and first maps: Exalted Orbs to buy gear on the trade site, Orbs of Alchemy to roll waystones, a handful of Chaos to fix a rare that's nearly right. That's the whole list.
  • Building a real endgame item: a Fracturing Orb to lock the mod that matters, then Greater or Perfect Exalts for the open slots, Annulments to clear mistakes. A Perfect Jeweller's on your main skill as soon as you can afford it.
  • Finishing an item: Divine Orbs to perfect the numbers, then - only if you're willing to lose it - a Vaal Orb. Or a Hinekora's Lock first and no risk at all.
  • The specialist routes: bones if your build wants a modifier only desecration offers; the Vaal set if you're chasing a corrupted implicit or a +1 gem.

FAQ

Which league do you deliver to? Forbidden Rites (Standard). You pick the league on the product page before you pay; the trade happens in-game in that league.


Is Exalted or Divine the "main" currency? Exalted for everyday trades, Divine for anything expensive. Think of it as coins and notes. The exchange rate between them is set by players, not the game, and moves daily.


What happens to my orbs when the league ends? Forbidden Rites ends when 1.0 launches on 11 December. The league economy ends with it - GGG hasn't published exactly what migrates where. Buy what you'll use this league, not a stockpile for the next one.


What does "Minimum Modifier Level" mean? The modifier the orb adds will be at least that tier. Greater is 35, Perfect is 50 (70 for the Perfect Transmutation and Augmentation). The base orb has no floor at all.


Can I un-corrupt an item? No. Corruption is permanent, which is why everything in the Vaal section is a gamble and why Hinekora's Lock is worth what it costs.


Do bones work on unique items? No - every bone says "Rare". Desecration is for rares, and only once per item.

Skip the farming? Every orb above is on the Path of Exile 2 page, delivered by trade in Forbidden Rites. If you'd rather earn them, the Forbidden Rites farming guide covers where they drop.